1. Making friends with
researchers @ Oxford
Nia Wyn Roberts
Outreach Librarian
University of Oxford Health Care
Libraries

2. Introduction
 Outreach librarians @ HCL
 Development of outreach service for
academic researchers in public
health and primary care
 Challenges / benefits

3. Outreach librarians @ HCL
 Mid 1990s – 2005: clinical /
outreach librarian projects
 2006/2007: refocusing of library
services towards outreach
 2009:
 7 librarians with outreach as part of
their role
 Each serving 3-4 clinical areas

4. Outreach librarian @ Old Road
Campus
 Equal mix of clinical and academic
departments:
 Clinical:
 Cancer, laboratory medicine & radiology
 Academic:
 Public health, primary care, cancer
research & molecular medicine

5. Public health and primary care:
Building on strong foundations
 History of close working
relationships
 Library based at the
centre of a research
building
 Moved from site
librarian to outreach
librarian

6. Working with Public Health
 Informal approach
 Getting to know people
 Building on existing relationships
 Making the most of opportunities
 MSc in Global Health
 Unique selling points
 Reference Management

7. Current work with Public Health
 Integrated into teaching for MSc in
Global Health
 Induction, EBM skills teaching, support
for dissertations
 Support for Systematic Reviews
 1-2-1 teaching, planning and searching
for SRs and HTAs, reference
management expertise
 Current awareness
 Updates for long-term clinical trials

8. Working with Primary Care
 Considered and planned approach
 3 month pilot project in 2005:
 Awareness raising from departmental
head
 Attendance at groups meetings
 Needs assessment in 2006
 Interviews with key researchers and
group leads

9. Result of needs assessment
 Help with electronic resources:
 Improve access
 Training for new interfaces
 Support for new researchers
 Structured programme on searching skills
and reference management
 Support for systematic reviews
 Advice and searching
 Help with funding bids

10. Current work with Primary Care
 MSc in Evidence Based Health Care
 Responsible for information skills
content of modules
 Information skills teaching & support
 Support for new researchers
 Contract staff, visiting academics,
placement students…
 Introduction to resources @ Oxford,
searching skills & reference
management

11. Current work with Primary Care
 MaDOX
 Information specialist for the horizon
scanning team
 Contribute to rapid reviews and work
planning
 Support for systematic reviews
 Diabetes and Vascular Disease
Group
 Support for clinical trial development
 Contribute to systematic reviews

12. Challenges
 Takes time to build up relationships
 Moving the library
 Managing expectations
 Accommodating different working
styles
 Balancing conflicting priorities

13. Benefits
 Ability to tailor services to needs of
researchers
 Following projects through to an end
product
 Interesting work and people
 No chance of getting bored
 Opportunities for professional
development

15. Any questions?